Anthony Edwards is out for two months with arthroscopic knee surgery, and that is a bigger blow to the Minnesota Timberwolves’ postseason seeding hopes than Jalen Williams being out for the entire season is for the Thunder. Yeah, you read that right. While Williams’ injury is obviously worse in terms of severity and timeline, the impact of Edwards’ absence on Minnesota’s early season push through Christmas is facing a steeper uphill challenge for their team.
The NBA’s Brutal Early Season Injury Crisis
The NBA is dealing with an “unprecedented” injury crisis right now, and everyone is trying to figure out why. The long-standing arguments are back on the table: shorten the season, maybe even shorten games themselves, like FIBA’s 40-minute contests instead of 48. These players are asked to play at a ridiculous pace, covering way more ground in a spaced-out game, and they are bigger and more powerful than the league has ever seen. All that is a recipe for injuries, and we’re seeing it play out. But let’s be real, the almighty dollar probably wins out every time. The league wants maximum revenue from games and TV deals, and players aren’t going to take salary cuts for fewer games. So here we are, watching a league defined as much by who is NOT playing as who IS. It sucks, plain and simple, and it’s having a major impact on the competitive landscape. This isn’t even looking ahead to the actual playoffs; we’re talking about the seeding race, which counts just as much now as it does later. And hey, we’re not even counting injuries that started before the season, like those to Jimmy Butler, Kristaps Porzingis, Kon Kneuppel, Coby White (who’s expected back soon), or Brandon Ingram. This is all about what hit *after* the season started.
Edwards’ Dominance Gone, Leaving Minnesota in a Hole
Before the injury, Edwards was absolutely on fire. He was averaging a scorching 33.3 points per game and leading the entire league in three-pointers. He was playing at an insane level, Edwards and LaMelo Ball were seriously vibing. Losing that kind of production, that kind of leadership, for two full months is just brutal. The Timberwolves are going to have to find a way to navigate a huge chunk of their early season without their best player. While Jalen Williams’ full-season absence is a catastrophic blow for OKC, his team’s situation is different. For Minnesota, right now, with Edwards out through Christmas, the fight for positioning in that Western Conference seeding race just got a whole lot tougher. Every game counts the same, and missing a player averaging over 33 points is going to be felt every single night. The information we have right now points to Edwards’ injury having the biggest impact on the postseason seeding race compared to any other injury to start the season. It’s a massive blow, and the Timberwolves have a huge challenge ahead of them.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
Leave a Reply